CNCounty News

News from Across the Nation - Nov. 28, 2016

MARYLAND

Members of the HOWARD COUNTY Department of Fire and Rescue Services have announced the creation of the St. Florian’s Brigade. St. Florian’s Brigade is the first local affiliate of iWomen (International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services) in the nation and is named after the patron saint of firefighters.

 St. Florian’s grew from a special interest group in the department known as the Women’s Issues Committee that was started in 1992. The brigade is focused on supporting and facilitating the participation of women in fire and emergency services.

 “The benefits this committee offers will improve the welfare of our employees, volunteers and our community,” said County Executive Allan H. Kittleman.

Although women in the fire and emergency services are the centerpieces of the brigade, membership is open to all members of the department. 

 

ARIZONA

PIMA COUNTY could see an economic impact of 280 million between 2016 and 2025 if Monsanto brings an automated corn-growing greenhouse to the county.

For its part, the county would support the agribusiness giant’s application to the U.S. Commerce Department for a 10-year, free-trade-zone designation, according to tucson.com.

The designation would substantially lower the property taxes the company pays — to a rate of 5 percent from the current 15 percent.  The company plans to break ground by year’s end.

 

CALIFORNIA

● BP will pay $14 million to settle California state and county prosecutors’ claims that the company negligently operated its underground fuel tanks at gas stations. Under the settlement’s terms, the company admitted no wrongdoing.

The state attorney general, and prosecutors from ALAMEDA and SAN DIEGO counties — and eight other counties — will share in the settlement, The Mercury News reported.

Prosecutors alleged that BP put water supplies, the environment and human health at risk by failing to properly operate, inspect and maintain gas storage tanks at more than 700 service stations for a decade.

 

● SANTA CLARA COUNTY Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese and Supervisor Cindy Chavez are promoting a plan to keep immigrant residents informed about their rights and provide legal representation to those who may need it.

The supervisors will ask the county’s Office of Immigrant Relations to work with nonprofits and other agencies on a plan to keep immigrants updated on possible changes in federal immigration policies under the incoming Administration in Washington.

Such a plan would expand legal services for undocumented residents who may need representation for hearings or in preparing documents.

 

FLORIDA

Cats and dogs will appreciate BROWARD COUNTY’s new $16.5 million animal shelter, and they won’t have to listen to each other’s yapping and meowing. “Here, the cats can’t hear the dogs barking,” said shelter spokeswoman Lisa Mendheim, because they’ll be housed in separate wings.

The new 40,000-square-foot shelter is twice the size of its predecessor, with room for 500 cats and dogs. It replaces a facility that had been in use for 61 years, the Sun Sentinel reported.

 

GEORGIA

● COBB COUNTY’s loss will be DEKALB COUNTY’s gain. The Weather Company, the IBM business that owns The Weather Channel, will relocate its headquarters from the former county to the latter in early 2017.

The move will create 400 new jobs in DeKalb, according to Gov. Nathan Deal’s (R) office, in areas such as software and product development, engineering, technology and marketing.

In addition to its forecasting for consumers, the company provides weather data to the aviation, energy, insurance and media industries.

 

● UPS will build a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center in FULTON COUNTY. It will create an estimated 1,250 new jobs, county officials said, and be operational by the end of 2018.

The facility is being built in an economically depressed part of the county on a 341-acre industrial site now owned by the county, businessfacilities.com reported.

 

ILLINOIS

COOK COUNTY is now the largest locality in the nation with a soda tax, according to the Chicago Tribune. Earlier this month, the County Board approved a penny-per-ounce tax on bottled and fountain sodas, and other soft drinks. It’s expected to generate $224 million annually.

The levy applies to sugary and artificially sweetened beverages, including sports drinks, lemonade and iced tea. When it takes effect July 1, it will add 72 cents to the cost of a six-pack of pop, 68 cents for a 2-liter bottle.

 

INDIANA

TIPPICANOE COUNTY will be a little less festive this Christmas. Repair work on the County Courthouse dome means no lights will decorate it this year.

Commissioner Tom Murtaugh told the Journal & Courier he couldn’t recall the last time the dome wasn’t lit for the holidays.

This, however, doesn’t mean that Lafayette, the county seat, will be without adornment. Mayor Tony Roswarski said trees trimmed in blue lights will dot the courthouse lawn.

 

LOUISIANA

FRANKLIN PARISH police jurors will continue to contribute to the cost of keeping a Veterans Affairs office in the parish — unlike several other parishes who want the state to pick up the tab.

Franklin covers 25 percent of the local VA office’s expenses and provides office space in the County Courthouse. That amounts to about $620 a month, according to a county official.

“It is an honor for us to provide a small portion of the funds for our VA office,” said Sam Boyd, the county secretary-treasurer. “Millions of dollars have been disbursed in Franklin Parish for Franklin Parish residents through our local VA Office,” according to the minutes of the parish’s public works committee.

 

NEW JERSEY

The BURLINGTON COUNTY administrative complex closed to the public one afternoon for an active-shooter exercise. Both the county’s 125 first responders and the almost 1,000 office employees were involved in the lockdown, the first time many had been involved in a law enforcement exercise.

 

TEXAS

DALLAS COUNTY’s new Department of Unincorporated Area Services will focus on enforcing laws in rural areas. Many issues that will be its bread and butter have either been ignored or addressed inconsistently.

 That will include meth labs, dumping, squatting, unsanitary septic tanks and unhealthy living conditions, and the development of housing subdivisions and roads.

The new office consolidates work previously handled by health and human services, fire marshal and public works departments, the Dallas Morning News reported.

 

VIRGINIA

● People who owe money for ambulance bills up to two years past-due in CAMPBELL COUNTY will see their wages garnished under a new system approved by the Board of Supervisors. The county estimated nearly $1 million in unpaid bills.

The statute of limitations on the legal action for health care money is two years, County Attorney David Shreve told the News and Advance.

Currently the county uses soft billing, issuing three bills to citizens followed by a letter from the county attorney if bills are not paid.  The money collected through wage garnishment will go toward the county’s plan to expand its EMS department.

The county program will be evaluated for efficacy after one year.

 

● The FLUVANNA COUNTY Board of Supervisors approved the county’s first solar farm.

The farm will cover 57 acres and will be the largest one built in this part of central Virginia, providing energy to 2,500 homes. NBC 29 reported construction is expected to begin in early 2017.

 

 â— STAFFORD COUNTY supervisors are going to allow developers to build hotels and parking lots close to the county’s light industrial zone, cutting out a conditional-use permit process in which developers are required to seek approval from the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, and pay a base fee of $10,000, The Free Lance-Star reported.

 

WYOMING

Routinely high voter turnout in JOHNSON COUNTY reached 100 percent this year, thanks to same-day registration. Technically, turnout exceeded 100 percent of previously registered voters (4,402). On Election Day, 4,485 people cast votes by the time the polls closed.

Deputy County Clerk Jane Carr told Fox News that turnout has been in the low-to-mid 90-percentile over the last six years.


News From the Across the Nation is compiled by Charles Taylor and Charlie Ban, senior staff writers. If you have an item for News From, please email ctaylor@naco.org or cban@naco.org.

 

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